Chapter 13: Occasional Flashes of Aura
Night fell, and Butterfly Mansion was quiet, with only a figure lying on the roof.
Arthur once again broke free from the intense physical rejection, with each failure accompanied by ringing in his ears, a swollen head, blood flowing backward, and tearing pain in his heart and lungs.
If he didn't possess the powerful recovery ability of the Star Crystal, allowing him to repair injuries himself, he wouldn't dare to play like this with several lives.
Arthur lay on his back on the cool tiles, gazing at the vast starry sky, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Tsk, as expected, was I too greedy?"
The attempt to create a brand new Breathing Technique was a hundred times more difficult than he had initially imagined.
The five basic Breathing Techniques of the Demon Slayer Corps are: Water's length, Flame's intensity, Wind's ferocity, Thunder's swiftness, and Stone's tenacity.
Each has its focus and its advantages and disadvantages, but it was difficult to find a perfect rhythm that could integrate them all.
The consequence of violently mashing them together was that even his powerful physique was on the verge of collapse.
"Specializing in Wind Breathing and developing a style that suits me might be faster…"
Arthur muttered to himself, the thought of giving up sprouting like a vine, only to be choked by the deep-seated unwillingness in his heart.
He didn't have the habit of settling for less!
Just then, the faint sound of footsteps on the tiles came from behind him.
Arthur turned his head to see Tanjiro carefully approaching with a tray, still wrapped in thick bandages, his injuries clearly not yet healed.
"Mr. Arthur, Aoi said you didn't come for dinner, so I brought some for you."
Arthur sat up and waved to him.
"Don't be so formal, just call me Arthur. I'm only three years older than you."
Tanjiro, however, stubbornly shook his head and said seriously.
"How can I! You are our savior. If it weren't for you, Nezuko and I might have already…"
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, interrupting his explanation.
"How is your sister doing?"
When Nezuko was mentioned, Tanjiro's face immediately broke into a smile, and his tone became cheerful.
"Thank you for your concern, Nezuko has almost fully recovered!"
"Is that so… that's good."
Arthur nodded, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of undetectable softness.
Tanjiro keenly sensed this emotion and scratched his head curiously.
"I always feel that Mr. Arthur cares a lot about Nezuko?"
Arthur picked up a rice ball from the tray and took a bite, his gaze returning to the starry sky, his tone flat.
"Probably because I also have a younger sister."
Tanjiro's eyes lit up: "Eh? Mr. Arthur also has a younger sister? Is she waiting for you to return in Europe?"
Arthur calmly shook his head, his voice without any fluctuation.
"No, she passed away in an explosion accident."
Tanjiro: (°Д°;)?!
The previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly solidified, and the night wind seemed to stop flowing, leaving only the faint sound of Arthur chewing food echoing on the roof.
Realizing he had touched a raw nerve, Tanjiro frantically searched for a new topic, his tone sounding unusually stiff.
"Ah… right, right! I saw the Kakushi bringing in many boxes. Is Mr. Arthur busy with something special recently?"
He immediately added: "Like me now, I'm diligently practicing the Total Concentration: Constant Breathing Technique!"
Total Concentration: Constant is the formal name for maintaining the Breathing Technique for twenty-four hours.
Mastering this method continuously enhances physical functions and is the most basic condition for becoming a Pillar-level swordsman.
Arthur brushed off the rice grains from his hand, took a sip of tea, and explained.
"Similar to you, I'm trying to create a brand new Breathing Technique."
"A brand new Breathing Technique…"
Tanjiro pondered. The Demon Slayer Corps has a history of over a thousand years, and there have been geniuses who created their own Breathing Techniques.
His companion, Inosuke Hashibira, was one of them, deriving the wild Beast Breathing from Wind Breathing.
Immediately, memories of the desperate situation on Mt. Natagumo flooded his mind.
At the brink of death, the Kagura Dance taught by his father transformed into a power to defeat enemies. That power, far exceeding Water Breathing, still puzzled him.
Why could a dance for worshipping gods be used for combat?
He had intended to ask Kocho Shinobu, the Insect Pillar, about this question after recovering, but now…
"Mr. Arthur."
A hint of inquiry flickered in Tanjiro's eyes as he said in a deep voice.
"Have you heard of 'Hinokami Kagura: Waltz'?"
"Hinokami Kagura: Waltz?"
Arthur put down his teacup and quickly searched the vast database provided by the Ubuyashiki Clan in his mind, but ultimately shook his head.
"No impression. Judging by the name, it sounds like some kind of dance for worshipping gods?"
Tanjiro nodded vigorously: "You're right!"
"That is our family's ancestral Kagura Dance, performed every winter to pray to the Fire God for peace."
"But during the battle with Lower Moon Five, I recalled my father's teachings, and I was actually… actually able to use it as a Breathing Technique!"
Arthur's heart inexplicably tightened, and his casual sitting posture subtly straightened.
"An ancestral ritual dance, usable as a Breathing Technique?"
This was too interesting.
The Kamado family, not only with special physiques that quickly adapted to demon blood, but even their ancestral dance was so extraordinary?
A faint, blurry spark ignited in Arthur's mind, as if he had grasped a crucial clue.
He suddenly stood up, pulled out a small crystal bottle from his inner lining, and tossed it to Tanjiro.
"Drink this, then perform the Hinokami Kagura for me."
"Ah? Yes!"
Tanjiro instinctively caught it. Though his face showed confusion, he obediently uncorked the bottle and drank the liquid inside.
The bitterness he expected did not appear. Instead, it was like a sweet spring entering his throat, and a warm current instantly surged through his entire body, followed by a strange tingling sensation.
A faint green glow flashed across Tanjiro's body, and he excitedly clenched his fist, standing up abruptly.
"My… my injuries are all healed!? This is incredible!"
"Indeed, the effect is immediate."
Arthur observed from the side, also nodding inwardly.
Because he himself possessed the powerful recovery of the Star Crystal, this was the first time he had directly witnessed the power of Orario's panacea.
This was a precious potion that could only be refined by alchemists who had mastered the 'Blending' development ability.
The panacea's recovery effects were remarkable, reportedly even able to pull dying adventurers back from the brink of death.
Seeing Tanjiro's instant recovery, it was no wonder Loki looked pained when she handed it to him.
"Um… Mr. Arthur, this medicine… is it particularly expensive?"
At this moment, Tanjiro's excitement faded. He shook the empty bottle in his hand, his voice as dry as air-dried charcoal.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, replying with a playful tone.
"It's alright, just five hundred thousand per bottle. Someone left it for me to save my life before I left."
"Five… five hundred thousand!?"
Tanjiro was struck as if by lightning, instantly petrified.
His family had lived by selling charcoal for generations; when had he ever seen such an astronomical figure as five hundred thousand?
"This… this is truly too valuable, I…"
Arthur raised a hand to interrupt him, pointing to the rehabilitation area behind the house.
"Instead of worrying about money here, you should quickly perform your Hinokami Kagura for me."
"If it can truly help me solve my current problem, then this five hundred thousand will be well worth it."
Tanjiro's eyes instantly became resolute, and he nodded vigorously.
"I understand! Please follow me!"
He no longer hesitated, turning and running towards the training ground below.
Under the night, an ancient dance, passed down for centuries, unfolded.
A sharp glint flashed in Arthur's eyes as he thought to himself.
Within this ancient heritage, perhaps lay a secret that would overturn his understanding.